Aims: Despite overseas-born individuals making up 26% of the Australian population, under-representation of culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) patients in health research limits the generalisability of findings and produces inequitable access to subsequent benefits. Low participation rates are in-part due to limited understanding of research opportunities, and the cost and difficulty finding available interpreters to undertake the consent process and facilitate the delivery of intervention and collection of data. This study will investigate the feasibility and acceptability of recruiting non-English speaking participants to the existing Care to Quit trial, in addition to English-speaking participants. The trial aims to improve outcomes for people with cancer who smoke by trialing the implementation of cessation care in cancer centres.
Methods: The trial gathers information on patient experiences of smoking cessation in cancer care, unmet needs and financial impacts associated with a cancer diagnosis. People who smoke and present to nine cancer centres in NSW and Victoria are eligible for the trial. The CALD pilot study will introduce translated Care to Quit study recruitment documents and videos in Arabic, Greek, Simplified Chinese and Vietnamese at cancer centre sites in South-West Sydney Local Health District - an area with a high percentage of CALD residents. Details of CALD participants will be passed onto a Healthcare Interpreter Service, where an interpreter of each identified language will facilitate contact between a researcher and the participant, and act as interpreter to complete the computer assisted telephone interview. In addition to the trial measures, the CALD participants will be asked 6 questions on their experience with the recruitment process. Key informant interviews will also be conducted with consenting staff members who were involved in the recruitment process for CALD participants. All interviews will be audio recorded, transcribed, and a grounded theory approach will be taken to the analysis.
Results: The logistics of the recruitment process will be described in detail. The primary outcome will be measured by reporting the proportion of eligible participants who consent to be contacted, consent to the trial, and complete the two Care to Quit trial interviews in their preferred language. Secondary outcomes of acceptability and feasibility will be measured by patient-reported and staff-reported feedback on the recruitment and interview procedures
Conclusion: Data from this pilot study will identify gaps in supportive cancer care for CALD populations and demonstrate the acceptability and feasibility of including CALD participants in research.